Tuesday 28 August 2012 15.08 EDT
First published on Tuesday 28 August 2012 15.08 EDT

Another day, another George Galloway rumpus. The cat impersonator-cum-MP has signed up to present a fortnightly show for al-Mayadeen, a new Arab television channel said to be linked to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. It comes a week after he belittled alleged victims of rape, and a day after he used terms offensive to disabled people.

Beirut-based al-Mayadeen means "the public squares" in Arabic. Critics claim it is either funded by Iran, or by Assad's cousin – though its management denies both charges, and has at least occasionally given a platform to members of the Syrian opposition. But certainly, its head of news is married to Assad's sometime PR adviser, while the station's director quit a rival channel (Qatar-backed al-Jazeera) because he felt it was too critical of the Syrian government.

"Given that they're in such a dire situation, it's unlikely that the Syrian regime has put money into the station," explains professor Joe Khalil, an expert in Arab TV at the Qatar branch of Northwestern university, "but they're definitely getting [the station's] support. Al-Mayadeen does not shy away from saying that they stand with anyone who is against Israel."

This isn't the first time Galloway has taken a controversial shilling (he also has a show with the Iran-backed Press TV), and nor is he alone among British politicos. Ken Livingstone had a regular slot with Press TV, as did – amusingly – his arch-critic Andrew Gilligan; his putative rival for the mayoralty, Nick Ferrari; and disgraced Tory MP Derek Conway, who had a show about books. In January 2012, Ofcom banned the channel from operating in the UK after it was judged to have broadcast an interview made under duress.

Meanwhile, Julian Assange – scourge of authoritarians; fan of Pussy Riot – fronted up for the Kremlin's Russia Today earlier this year. Assange interviewed controversial figures such as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah – but was criticised for his stilted delivery, and for failing to delve into Russian human rights abuses.

Why do the stations want them? Different channels have different reasons, says Khalil. "Press TV was based in the UK, and directed towards a British audience," he says, "so it had to fit inside that environment." Hence their range of politicians from across the political spectrum, all fairly familiar to British audiences.

Al-Mayadeen, on the other hand, is Arab-based, and only wants to recruit Westerners who are both well-known in the Middle East, and who support their anti-Western politics. "Galloway is the perfect fit for al-Mayadeen," says Khalil. "He was on Arab television during every single uprising, war, and he came out very forcefully against Israel. Al-Mayadeen treats him like a superstar."

And what's in it for Galloway? Attention, for one thing. "I don't want to be mean," says Khalil, "but he's constantly looking for a platform." The money's not bad, either. Galloway will earn £3,000 an episode – or nearly £80,000 a year – for his new project.

Other lesser-known MPs turn to Press TV because they can't get heard otherwise. "They may or may not object to the Iranian regime," says Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, "but these channels provide a platform to the lesser-known MPs who don't get asked onto Newsnight to express their views on foreign policy."